As described, for example, in British Patent n. 1464070, dishwasher doors are known to feature a rotating latch loaded by a return spring, and which, when the door is closed, engages a catch integral with the appliance casing; and, when the user pulls on the door handle, the latch rotates about its hinge point to disengage the catch. To stop the dishwater (in particular, the water pump) automatically, and so prevent injury to the user, when the door is opened, British Patent n. 1464070 features an independent control lever, which must be operated by the user to obtain access to the door handle, and which acts on a switch co-operating with the dishwasher pump supply circuit. To open the door, the user must use both hands, which, though effective in terms of user safety, is obviously awkward.
Devices are also known in which the latch is connected directly or indirectly to the lever controlling the dishwasher supply circuit switch; and, when the door is opened, rotation of the latch itself also moves the control lever to act on the switch. A common drawback of known devices of this type, however, lies in the delay between the latch movement and the control lever acting on the switch, so that the dishwasher is not stopped until the door has actually already started to open, which is obviously undesirable. To eliminate or minimize this drawback, known devices (as, for example, in European Patent Application EP-A-0727178) are expensive, bulky, and complicated to make and assemble.